Start to Read

When you're doing a tarot reading, the images speak for themselves. Laying out the cards, you begin to see a story emerge. In a way, the spread is like a little storyboard that shows what's happening.

Look how the cards go together. Do the images face each other? How do they interact . . . or not? Are there are a lot of reversals? Mostly Majors? Minors? What's missing?

Scan the spread. Notice what catches your eye. Examine each card. Look closely. What colors or figures seem to stand out? Is there one card that calls to you? Another one that doesn't make sense?

In a way, you're like a true detective, searching for clues and trying to determine what's happening and how that may play out in the future.

Ask questions. What does the querent have to say about a particular card? Are they reacting to any cards or not? How does that make you feel? Look at every card thoroughly and how they connect as closely as possible. Then begin interpretation.

Interpretation

Interpretation isn't just reading the cards based on the standard tarot card meaning. Those meanings serve a role, but you do not want to get hung up on them. They are simply a touchstone. Your intuition does the work piecing everything together in a cohesive story.

Here's an example. Let's say you are asking about your job. Things have been dicey lately, and you're not sure if you want to stay or go. The cards you pull:

• Death, Five of Swords, and Four of Pentacles reversed

Now, if you look at the traditional meanings, you see change (Death), dishonesty (Five of Swords), and let go (Four of Pentacles reversed). That's clear as a bell, right? But what if your intuition sees something different here? Perhaps the interpretation might be leaning in another direction. It might be saying: “A major change has been happening behind the scenes. It's almost like someone else is coming in and making waves. This feels like a hostile takeover. The person in charge is about to lose their crown. Someone is taking their power away from them.”

This was an actual reading I did for someone. Instead of telling the client to let go and move on, I saw a need to be prepared. That person loved their job, and they sat tight while a hostile takeover raged on for months. The manager was fired, and the new person cleaned up a toxic environment, which should have happened long ago. My client was fine and still works there to this day.

Another example: one of my friends was reading for someone, and I don't remember much about it except the Eight of Cups at the end. He said, “You're going away.” The other person asked if it was for a trip. He said, “Nope. Looks more like jail or prison.” The querent seemed perplexed and walked away. Sure enough, years later, that person got busted and went away for a few years. When I read about it in the news, all I could think of was that Eight of Cups.

This is how intuitive reading works. The Eight of Cups is traditionally seen as “moving on, travel, or seeking.” But the reader saw something different and went with his gut.

How do you know when to go with the traditional meaning and when to use your instincts? I always obey the instinct first. Even if the interpretation seems off the wall, don't ignore it. It might turn out to be important later.

When you are first starting out, you might be a bit timid with your interpretations. That's okay. Go slow. Use the meanings in this book or the little white book that came with your deck. As you begin to find your intuitive muscles, you will rely on those interpretations less and less. Soon, you'll ditch them, like a child speeding off on a new bike, the training wheels lying by the side of the road.

How do you know when that day will come? You're barely glancing at the book. Instead, you're going with your gut and letting the images tell the story. I knew I was ready when the information began to spill out of me like a ticker tape. Suddenly, my words were coming so fast that there was no time to check what the cards “meant.” My sixth sense took over, and I've never looked back.

Today, my readings still are pretty much like that. I lay out the cards, and the information comes automatically like I'm a rapper in a rap battle! In fact, I hate when a client interrupts because it ruins my flow! In time, you may be the same. That comes with practice.

The Prediction Predicament

What about the future? Can we reliably see what's coming? Well, yes and no. We can see where actions may be leading, but there is always the possibility that you will misinterpret information or the querent may decide to make a change.

There are also times when we're so focused on one aspect of our lives that other important issues may be overlooked. When that happens, we wonder, “How come we didn't see that in the cards?”

One of my clients had a brother who was involved in a gang. Over the years, he managed to stay out of trouble, but he never entirely left those roots. It's not easy to walk from that life. My client came in for a reading, and we talked about the usual: romance, kids, money. A few months later, she called me to say that her brother had been murdered. She was upset that the cards “didn't see” this. How could they miss something so important? “You never asked about him,” I replied.

Keep in mind that our guides (or other people) may throw a monkey wrench into a reading. Perhaps on some level, you don't want to know the answer. Or maybe your higher guidance does not wish for your interference. Maybe karma has a say in how events will unfold. Also, while I believe we can see “likely outcomes,” our choices, as well as the decisions made by other people, can change everything. Karma, free will, and other folks all play a part in what the future may hold. As readers, we do our best but must understand that no one can “see it all.”

As Run-DMC says: “It's tricky.”

This may be why many readers shy away from divination. It's not easy and requires lots of practice. Even then, life can throw a few furious curveballs.

Recently, a long-term client had a session scheduled with me. I waited around, and she didn't call on time, which was unusual. I sent her an email and tried to call. Nothing. This had me a bit worried, because in the thirty years we have worked together, this has never happened. An hour later, she called and apologized. It turns out she was traveling and got the time zones mixed up. She rescheduled for a few weeks down the road.

When this client and I reconnected, there were dramatic changes in her life. Her father had passed unexpectedly. He recently traveled to spend the week with her family. They went out for dinner, and when they returned home, he fell. He was rushed to the hospital, and the doctor suggested surgery. But he refused. He said he was happy with his dinner and content because he was with his favorite daughter.

He passed away peacefully a few hours later at her home. As we discussed this, we both wondered if there was divine intervention on his behalf. Were his guides aware that he was “ready to go” and made sure that she was not on the horn with me, getting a possible warning? Perhaps they knew that I might see that he was ill. Or maybe not. We'll never know. But one thing we both agreed on: there was some sort of intervention, because in all the time we have worked together, this sort of botched appointment has never happened.

Some tarot readers are anti-prediction. They rail against it and try to make any reader who enjoys divination feel bad. If they had their way, there would be no more predictive tarot readers.

I find that way of thinking odd because when people come to a tarot reading, even if you claim that predictions are not part of your bag of tricks, it's what most folks want. They come to know what may be ahead, how their decisions might pan out, and what to avoid. They want to know what's in the cards. Even readers who say that they don't do divination ultimately end up doing some form of it.

If you feel that you don't want to attempt prediction, that is totally up to you. After all, it's not easy. You can be wrong. And it sucks balls when you are. Feel free to leave that to the folks who enjoy taking the risk.

By that same token, don't disrespect people who enjoy it. Tarot can be used however people feel called. There is no “one way.” Modern readers use tarot for life coaching, therapy, creative inspiration, introspection, and more. It's all good. Find what works for you and go for it. And let everyone else do the same.

As far as readings that attempt to see the future, there is nothing unethical about them. Sometimes it helps to have an idea of what's up ahead. That allows you to make brave decisions.

Like I said before, I like to say that predictive tarot is like driving a car. You're zipping down the road, and suddenly another car is coming in your direction with lights blinking at you. If you've driven a car, you know what that means: there is a speed trap ahead. Now you have a choice. You can continue driving over the limit, and the most likely outcome will be a speeding ticket. Or you can slow down . . . and change your future.

This is how I approach the predictive process.

First thing in the morning, pull a tarot card. Without taking time to analyze the card, write down your prediction for the day. Use this format: “Today I will____________.” At the end of the day, check in and see: did your prediction come true? For example, if you pull the Page of Pentacles reversed, you might say, “Today I will get bad news about money.” Let's say you get a larger than expected credit card bill. Yay! You called it. But what if you don't? What if the day goes by with no news about your cash flow? Look back and see if there might be any other way to interpret the card. If you still feel flummoxed, put it aside and revisit it in a few days.

Journaling prompt: What do you think about divination? Do you think the future is set in stone?

The Fastest Way to Grow Your Skills

Daily practice will build your skills, but if you want to get up to speed, the best way is to read for as many other people as you can. Read for every demographic and situation. Bring out the cards in public places. Read for people solo, read for groups. Sign up to do a tarot party for free and read all night long. Consider it your boot camp or initiation.

The more you read and more people you read, the better you'll get.

In the beginning, you may be shy, but take a deep breath and read anyway. You're gonna be wrong at times. That's okay. Keep going.